-Caveat Lector-
You can catch bad guys without spying on the
rest of America
Source: Orlando Sentinel
Published: July 13, 1999 Author: Charley Reese
Suppose the police said, "Everyone must deposit a key to his
house and a key to his post office box at the police station.
Trust us not to pry into your affairs, let the keys fall into the
wrong hands or otherwise abuse your trust."
Would you agree to that?
I don't think so. And you should not agree to the Clinton
administration's desire to require Americans to put the keys to
their computer-encryption software where the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, the Central Intelligence Agency or the National
Security Administration can get at them.
If you use the Internet for buying or banking or investing, you
are using encryption. That's just a program that scrambles
communications so they can be unscrambled only by people
authorized to do so. Encryption is the only line of defense of
privacy on the Internet or on digital cell telephones.
Fortunately, there is a bill in Congress that will soon go to the
floor that will protect Americans' privacy and allow American
industry to compete on a level playing field with European and
Asian software developers. It's called the Security and Freedom
through Encryption (SAFE) Act of 1999.
Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., introduced the bill, and there are now
257 co-sponsors. The last committees to look at it have until
July 23 to do so, but none can stop it from coming to the floor,
a spokesman for the congressman said. The Republican leadership
has promised a vote. Top Republican big guns such as Rep. Dick
Armey and Rep. Tom DeLay back it, as does Rep. Bob Barr, the
tough Georgia congressman liberals love to hate.
It also has the backing, however, of prominent Democrats and
liberals because, on the issue of privacy, conservatives and
liberals tend to find common ground. The main opposition comes
from the FBI and the super-eavesdropping agency, the NSA.
Unfortunately, Rep. Bill McCollum, our congressman, has so far
lined up on the side of the snoops. He's overly impressed by
spook agencies.
The bill would do basically three things: It would protect the
privacy of American citizens by prohibiting the monitoring of
people's communications without their consent and knowledge.
That's so firmly in the American tradition, it's alarming that
the Clinton administration opposes it.
Second, the bill would do away with restrictions on exports of
encryption. While the Clinton administration restricts the export
of American encryption products, foreign encryption products are
freely available, even on the Internet. This basically would
allow American firms to compete fairly with other countries.
Third, by encouraging American industry to use the best available
encryption products, it would help industries protect their
Internet communication from industrial espionage. It is backed by
both business and privacy organizations.
In the old days, one would say take pen in hand and write your
congressman, asking him to vote for H.R. 580, the SAFE Act of
1999. Today, take computer keys in hand and send Congress an
e-mail.
There is always a conflict between liberty and security in the
sense that people too zealous about security become willing to
sacrifice liberty just to add another tool to the
bad-guy-catching arsenal. Sensible Americans know that there
other ways to catch bad guys without spying on the entire
American population. That's why there is such bipartisan, even
bi-ideological, support for this legislation.
We don't need Big Brother snooping around inside our computers.
H.R. 580 is perfectly complementary to the Bill of Rights.
=================================================================
Kaddish, Kaddish, Kaddish, YHVH, TZEVAOT
FROM THE DESK OF: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
*Mike Spitzer* <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
~~~~~~~~ <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
The Best Way To Destroy Enemies Is To Change Them To Friends
Shalom, A Salaam Aleikum, and to all, A Good Day.
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